- This event has passed.
Spring Affiliate Meeting VI: Biocodicology Report
April 11, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Using Genetics to Unlock the Secrets of Medieval Parchment Books
Monday, April 11th, 2022
12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Online Event: via Zoom.
Zoom Registration: cutt.ly/genetics.
The Franklin Humanities Institute Manuscript Migration Lab is very pleased to welcome Dr. Kelly A. Meiklejohn, Assistant Professor of Forensic Science in the Department of Population, Health, and Pathobiology at North Carolina State University, to share the preliminary results of her research on the genetic make-up of some of the parchment manuscripts in the Rubenstein collection.
Kelly A. Meiklejohn | Assistant Professor, Forensic Science, Department of Population Health & Pathobiology, North Carolina State University.
Description: Parchment represents an unparalleled archaeological resource for a wide variety of science and humanities fields, and provides an untapped reservoir of millions of samples over a thousand-year period containing evidence of book production practices, human-animal interaction, and agricultural history. Recent advances in genetic techniques permit non-destructive sampling of these cultural heritage artifacts for the first time. In this talk, we will discuss the methods used to non-destructively sample parchments held in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke for DNA analysis. From these samples, we will sequence the mitochondrial genome via high-throughput sequencing to determine the species that furnished the skins (cow, sheep or goat) and relatedness of individuals used in book production. We will provide a first preliminary look at data from some of the samples taken from Duke and what insights can be gleaned from that data.
Please join us! Following the talk, there will be a get together with boxed lunches available for those who are able to make it. RSVP for lunch: cutt.ly/geneticslunch